Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Santa Fe

Hi, kids. I'm back from Santa Fe, New Mexico. My first visit. Stunning.

I've added it to the wheel of possibilities. Yes, I know it's expensive–but one does grow weary of believing one will only ever be able to afford to live in places so uncomfortable and unattractive that the rents are cheap, you know what I mean? I'm tired of being practical about everything.

Before I steel myself for another day in the salt mines, here are a few snapshots. I love to photograph religious shrines, and New Mexico delivered. I don't think any of these will wind up in my portfolio, but it certainly was fun taking them. Not pictured, because none of the shots are particularly interesting, is the honest-to-goodness Tibetan Buddhist stupa I visited.

I love Santa Fe.

Loretto Chapel

Loretto Chapel

Canyon Road

Juan Diego, Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe, El Santuario de Chimayo

I felt the same way about Santa Fe - gorgeous, and I don't know why, but surprisingly so. And the stretch of road between Santa Fe and Denver is by far my favorite, most breathtaking stretch of land I've seen in this country.

whoo-whee! beautiful.thanksand thanks for the correct use of the word votive. may you please show us the stupa ? please o please o pleaseOH?also, thanks for linking me to your mongolian reader who linked me to the stupidist article ever written about buddhism. after i read it i thoughti knew One; but then i realized i know nothing; so there we are.

Franklin, I am glad you had a good visit to my home state. I love NM. Santa Fe is beautiful, as you saw. The Four Corners area, where I live, is also beautiful, but unfortunately, the nearest yarn is in Durango, CO.

I love your blog and think you are a genius. You never fail to inspire, make me laugh or make me think. Please keep up the good work.

I am supposed to be calculating final grades for college classes, and here I am sneaking off to read your blog. I needed the break.

I love NM, and though I enjoy traveling to other places I would never want to live anywhere else. I guess that's what happens when your family has pretty much lived in the same spot for almost 400 yrs.

Okay, so apparently Blogger is having some issues about letting me comment if I don't sign in through the beta. I was trying to say that although I never made it to Santa Fe, I did spend a month on the Navajo Rez. It's a lovely part of the country, but insufficiently verdant to suit me as a long-term option. But then the "where next?" project isn't mine to decide.

Santa Fe has a lovely inner beauty. My friends Keith and Andre just moved there and they are loving it! There are lots of fiber enthusiasts (Mystical Creations) in the area. Plus Taos Wool Festival is in October in the mountains west of SF. Four seasons but no damp windy crap. Good luck with your journey. Anna M

Stunning photographs, Franklin. Santa Fe is a beautiful place. I lived in Albuquerque four years so got up there occasionally. Sky and sunsets are breathtaking. I still miss the green chiles that we used to get each fall.

Congratulations to the Habit clan! And that of your bro-in-law, of course.

Although I've no great desire to be a parent, I LOVE being an aunt. You can spoil your niece/nephew then send them, hyperactive on food colouring & sugar, back to their parents. Because you're never the disciplinarian you're always Cool. (I've had a serious discussion of the hunting habits of birds of prey with a 7-year-old.) You can take revenge on all your sister's evil deeds as a kid by buying her child the most annoying (for her), wonderful (for the kid) toy you can find.

For me, northern NM would be the ultimate place to live. I've traveled there 5 times in the last 15 years, because it just is good for my soul. I think it would be good for you, too, Franklin. If you feel you have to leave Chicago, then move to northern NM, OK? Not sure if you like this sort of thing, but there is a very affordable place with natural hot springs just north of Santa Fe called Ojo Caliente. You can just enjoy the hot springs or you can also get massaged, etc. Ojo Caliente is so remote, a cell phone won't work there...but that's often a plus!

Should you be missing NM too much, read *Death Comes for the Archbishop*, Willa Cather, if you haven't yet. You can prop it up whilst knitting the christening shawl (perhaps a bit too much multi-tasking).

Wonderful. I was there on a 'study abroad' trip (from Delaware, believe it or not) this summer. I miss Santa Fe. But if you loved the architecture and the look of the place, you should read Chris Wilson's The Myth of Santa Fe -- very interesting read about Santa Fe history and how the place got to look the way it does.

Not having been to Santa Fe, I cannot in good conscience dissuade you from choosing it.

But but but - if you are pining for European-type cities, and cities with streets that vibrate with energy, and cities where creative-minded knitters (and artists, writers, photographers, musicians, and Zen dogwalkers) are thick on the ground, there's just no substitute (in the US) for nyc.

I say this purely out of selfishness, as New York needs all the cool creative people it can get. Greedy greedy greedy.

Hi Franklin, I've been reading your blog for a while and just wanted to comment that if you move to the Land of Enchantment, there are some great SNB groups here in Albuquerque, we'd love to have you.Emilee

We went to Santa Fe on our honeymoon in June 2002 and it was a truly awe-inspiring place. I'm more of a city-and-snow than hot-n-dry kind of girl (ok, so I live on a farm now, long story) but I was completely fascinated by NM.

I do accept as true with all of the ideas you've presented on your post. They are really convincing and can definitely work. Still, the posts are too quick for beginners. Could you please lengthen them a bit from next time? Thank you for the post.

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